Manchester United expect bids will be submitted next week to take over control of the club from the Glazers, according to reports.
However, co-chairmen Avram and Joel Glazer are likely to be disappointed as formal offers are set to fall some way short of their asking price of between £6billion and £8bn. Initial bids are likely to be in the region of £4bn and there is interest from the United States, the Middle East, Asia and nearer home.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the richest man in Britain, is the early favourite to take over at Old Trafford after confirming he had begun the process of attempting to acquire the club. The Raine Group, an American investment bank, is coordinating the sale for the Glazer family, who bought United in a contentious £790million leveraged takeover in 2005.
